Mats Wilander Quotes

I think that whenever a nation feels itself to be at is zenith, it starts to feel a creeping sense of anxiety.

Writing on assignment, with lots of money handed to you before you even began, got very scary for me. My dread of not being perfect, something I got from a childhood surrounded by powerful, successful people, began to infect everything I wrote.

I think being world number one and world champion, pressure comes with that.

Winning is very addictive, that's why it's very hard when suddenly - boom - you are not the favorites any more.

It has gotten worse as I'm becoming more successful. My nerves. Just because there's a bit more pressure, and people are expecting a lot more from me.

My performance level has risen - and my anxiety-level has sky-rocketed.

If expectations are low, you can only impress people. But if expectations are there for you to be the leading guy, and you've been paid X amount of money, you're on a tightrope, and all of a sudden, you're looking down.

I've worried more and more as the years have gone on. The more you're seen to be doing well, the more stress there is. You feel you ought to consider things more, and be more fussy - there's further to fall. All these little worries.

It's the weight of expectation that's the hardest to deal with, really, from my point of view.

Running a successful, growing company in Silicon Valley can create an ironic sort of depression and delusion. The better you're doing, the higher the stakes, and higher expectations for you to win. Maybe that's why people say it's so hard. But that doesn't make it hard. That just makes it distracting.

There is pressure that comes with everything being a big deal. I remember thinking, 'I need to survive the Shins. I don't know what I'm going to do to make a living otherwise, but I really don't want to do the Shins right now.'

You have this idea that you'd better keep working otherwise people will forget. And that was dangerous.

Pressure makes me produce. Kills most guys. Mortifies 'em.

I'm always looking to the next thing. There are always hurdles, whether it's the White House dinner or hosting charity events or that night's show: Until they're over, I worry, then I move right on to the next thing. It's hard for me to enjoy the moment. I'm just thinking about not failing.

When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me, and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day.

The questions that loom can be intimidating. 'What kind of moves is she gonna make? What is she gonna do?' There is this pressure that you're supposed to keep impressing.

Obviously, making my debut at such a young age, people put a lot of pressure on you.

I didn't have stage parents and sometimes I've envied people who did because I felt like, I guess, I'm compulsively worried I'm not accomplishing enough.

I feel the pressure of getting something right.

I think pressure exists in a situation only when you are unsure of your talent and people are expecting a lot from you due to your lineage.

Going into my first Ryder Cup, my big fear was that I would contribute nothing to the team and that we'd lose.

You always feel pressure to do your best, and when you know that the story revolves around you, it can become very overwhelming.

I've always had this crazy thought that I have to win something; otherwise, my career's a complete failure. It's ridiculous. Will a trophy change me as a person? No. Will it make me a better player? No. So what the hell am I worried about?

Being the headliner is only more pressure if you're not very good.

The pressure of success is suffocating.